Line in the Sand

             I have been brooding over some of the things that I have seen in the Spirit the past week or so. I feel as if I do not somehow express this I am going to explode from the inside out. Jesus has drawn a line in the sand and we must decide which side we will be on. Are we going to be on the side of compromise or the side of truth? Everyone of course will jump to say that they will be on the side of truth, but I know this to be something that cannot be decided so quickly. This is something that must be deeply thought out, because the decision is one that is made for life. Are we willing to give up everything for Him? Are we willing to not be popular in the public’s eyes? Are we ready for real persecution?

                I reiterate I have been brooding over this for quite some time. God is looking for those who will be trumpeters in this time. He is searching for one’s that do not look at the people’s faces in fear (Jeremiah 1:8, Ezekiel 2:6). Are we so afraid of losing man’s approval that we will not speak the Word of God, or cater to whom we speak to? Are we appeasing those that have itching ears (2 Timothy 4:3)? Look at what happened when we appeased Hitler. Does anyone like the way that turned out? We need to stand up for what the Word of God says. We are to be voices in this generation, and to rise to the occasion. We have no idea what persecution is. The trumpeters in the past know what persecution is. Trumpeters like Paul, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Elijah, John the Baptist, and all of the disciples. Compromise is what has landed the church in the mess that it is in. We want to be politically correct so everyone feels good. We can stand for this no more! We must be a people to rise to the occasion to speak out the truth in every situation no matter the consequence. We must ask God for wisdom and discernment in each situation, but nonetheless speak for what He has told us. In Ephesians 6:20 Paul states that, “I may speak, boldly as I ought to speak.” I cannot stress this statement enough. We need a boldness to arise from the pit of our souls to speak the Truth no matter the consequence. I will not allow Christ’s death to be in vain by the lack of certainty that I have in Him. We must have complete faith in our God. Election time is upon us, and I am by no means a political person. Although I will stand on the Truth and proclaim that I cannot stand for abortion, gay marriage, or the lack of acknowledgement that God needs to be returned as the foundational principle of this nation. I am neither Democrat nor Republican, but vote clearly on which party stands more closely to the issues of Godly principles. This nation’s eyes are blinded to what is going in this world.

                Each time we compromise we give another inch to darkness. We must stand up and be the light that God has told us to be. We can shrink back no more, but stand on the front line and fight. We must be like Joshua, and fight to gain what has been promised to us. We can no longer sit by idly, and watch this nation be lead down the path of distraction. We need to humble ourselves and pray (2 Chronicles 7:14). We need to an assembly, gather the elders, and consecrate a fast (Joel 2). Yes, we need revival in this nation, but how do we expect to have revival when we personally have no revival. Instead of praying for revival solely in my region and nation, I pray for a revival of my heart.  In order for revival to break out it must be stirred in our own hearts.  Those who answer the call to be trumpeters are accepting the lack of acceptance. Those who stand on His Word, and speak boldly will suffer much persecution, and I am not talking about losing friends. The time is coming where Christians in this nation will be persecuted like in the days of the disciples. If we have the knowledge of who God is we will not fear this persecution. We must understand that if we abide in the secret place of God we are under His shadow (Psalms 91). He is our refuge, and He has given angels charge over us (Psalms 91). There is no fear in perfect love (1 John 4:18). We have foundation principles to stand upon. It is white and black with no shades of grey. Pick which side of the sand you look to stand on, and stop playing church. Either you are in or you are out. Remember God vomits out those who are lukewarm (Revelation 3:16).

                Lord I pray that You open our eyes to what You are calling us to do in this season. I pray that You raise up forerunners in this world that are willing to stand for Godly truths with no compromise. I pray that we stand up, and become trumpeters of Your Word in these times. I pray that we have no fear of man, but only a fear of God so that we are able to hear You clearly and obey You promptly. Awaken us O God, to the reality of the world in which we live in. Show us where we should go, what we should say, and help us carry ourselves according to Your Word. I ask that You order our footsteps, and lead us into paths of righteousness. Bring revival to each of individually at the heart level God. Let us not take this as a light thing, but gives us revelation that it is a privilege to be in partnership with You. Let us walk in perfect unity with You and dwell in Your secret place.

One Night Stand Christians

I know it has been quite some time since I have blogged last. In fact, it as though I went on a hiatus, and truly that is what it felt like. The title of this blog will probably raise some eyebrows as well as the content. Yet again I got this phrase during a running session. My mind was so clear it was as if the thought smoothly dropped into my head, and I couldn’t really seem to get it to go away. In all reality this is how numerous appendages of the church are today. They live for the one night stand mentality.

                Basically what the definition of a one night stand is, is an intimate encounter that only lasts for one night. I began to dwell on this thought for the past few days thinking of all the numerous ways we treat God as a one night stand. From experience people that are involved in one night stands do not build a relationship together. They simply get together for one moment of pleasure and part ways. Many people do the same thing with God. They come to church one day a week just as if they have to go to check that off their list of things to do that week. People show up just to make themselves feel good, or so they can say, “I go to church, so that makes me a good person.” In essence that good person mentality has turned most of the Body of Christ into harlots. We go about our routine and show up for that one night or day just to get our fix to make ourselves feel good. This is an addiction to self, and not to God. The issue is most people do not realize that they have a problem, as is the case with people that are addicts. We are so busy trying to be good people we have missed the big picture. He wants to have a loving relationship with us.

                People have treated God almost like a booty call. When times get tough they call on God, but when times are good they neglect Him. They only call on Him when they need to get that feel good moment. He is sitting up in heaven longing, and burning to have an intimate relationship with us. With the one night stand reality there is zero intimacy. It is more of a thank you for stopping by, now go out there and be somebody.  Hosea, a prophet of God, married a harlot Gomer, because God told him to. He had to constantly have the feeling that God feels when we only use Him for that moment. At one point Gomer realized what she was doing and decided to return back to her first love. The church needs an awakening to realize that they are far from their first love (Christ). We think that we know Him, but we really do not know Him. We are more concerned about what others think of us, our TV shows, our new apps, the latest flick, the next model or singer, and if we seem like good people than we are with the knowledge of who God is.

What is the point of going to church if you do not leave any different? Why do we think that an hour or so hearing what another person says about God is enough? This man created us to having a loving relationship with us, and we only make the time once a week to spend with Him. This would not work in any other type of relationship, and it surely does not work with God.  In Psalms 53:2 it states that God is looking down from heaven to find somebody that understands, and that will seek Him. A few hours on one day will not cut it. What is going to happen when things in this world began to shake, and the governmental foundations begin to crumble around us? Who will we turn to in that time? We will turn to the thing or person that we have built a relationship with, and that is why relationship with God is so important. We need to know who He is so that when all hell breaks loose we do not panic, because we know that we can abide in the shadow of His wings (Psalms 91). As I have stated repeatedly there is no formula to this, it is simply all about relationship with Him. We need to turn away from our harlot ways, and began to become the Brides of Christ we were created to be. This reminds me of the parable of the 5 wise and the 5 foolish virgins. The wise virgins accrued oil, and when the Bridegroom came they were prepared to enter the feast while the foolish virgins had to go back and get oil. When they returned to the Bridegroom, He stated that He did not know them. God does not know the ones that are continually having one night stands with Him. These are the pleasure seekers, and are looked at as “good addicts” because they don’t have a bottle in their hand or a needle in their arm. We need to wake up to the reality that the end times are near. There is no need to panic, because we can dwell in the secret place with Him if we decide to build a relationship with Him. During the times upon us I want my Bridegroom to welcome me in, instead of saying that He does not know me.

My love, I pray that You awaken this nation from its slumber. Give to us a Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who You are.  Let us gaze upon Your beauty and mercies daily. My love, teach us how to accrue intimacy with You. I ask that Your heart becomes our heart, so that we may know what You long for. I pray that You bring a love revival to this generation. I pray that we become love warriors with You, and that we know You so intimately that we hear You clearly and obey You promptly. Shake this generation out of their old ways, and let us return to old ways as in the days of the prophets and disciples. Come and Awaken love, so that when we come out of the wilderness we are leaning upon Your heart. Your heart is what we want. Your heart is what we are after. Nothing else in this world matters except every moment in Your precious loving presence. Create in us a holy addiction for You my love. Amen.

Coursing Through Our Veins

               Many of you know I have been on the road for the past month at various youth camps. I have survived three weeks of camp with teenagers. Praise God for grace! I will not share most of what happened in the time with all of the kids, because quite frankly many of you would not want to read such a transcription. All I can say is that I have a greater purpose to live, a greater vision, and I know that time is precious since I will never get it back. There was one experience I had in Kansas City in the IHOP (International House of Prayer) prayer room. It was an experience of great magnitude. It was an experience I will never forget, and I have since longed to experience it daily. There was not only an intense tangible experience with God, but great vision was revealed as well.

                The following is what I wrote down that could hardly describe what I experienced or saw. It was a moment where His presence is so manifest that you can feel Him pumping through your very veins. It was as if the glory of God was flowing through the entire inside of my body. It was like a manifest liquid love being joined with my natural blood. I believe that this moment was a true covenant moment. It was a moment where you could feel Him in you. It was a moment where you could feel the very DNA of God Eternal coursing through your body. I felt so humble yet empowered all at the same time. All of my senses were heightened in this moment. I could hear Him more clearly, feel Him more tangibly, and smell His very fragrance. It was a moment where you are so lost in focus on Him that you actually feel yourself becoming Him and He you. It was a moment where you have His presence pulsating in you and outside of you. I felt as if my body was going to explode under the weight of His presence. My body felt as if it were pulsating or breathing itself, and not just me breathing through my lungs. It seems as though each exterior limb had its own heartbeat. I could feel God inside and out. These moments are attained by extreme focus, extreme desire, and extreme longing to be with Him. He is always focused on us with His eyes of fire in this way, and He is waiting for us to have His focus. I am not speaking of a meditation of the likes of Yoga and Buddhism.  I am talking about a focus on the only True Living God. I am speaking of a focus on the Man who is sitting at the Right Hand of God.  I am speaking of a focus on the God who shines like a jasper and sardius stone, and has an emerald rainbow around Him. We are to meditate on the Word not on our spirit, but the Holy Spirit. This new age stuff is absolute garbage compared to the true meditation on the King of Kings. This experience to feel Him coursing through your veins is for everyone, not just for me. God is not respecter of persons (1 Peter 1:17). This was one of the most addicting and transcendent experiences I have ever had in my life. This all happened in a prayer room with a few hundred people. I seemed to hit a focus beyond my understanding. Tears were continually pouring down my face with the feeling of His love consuming me. He tenderized and empowered my heart all in the same encounter. He told me this is your inheritance. To feel His DNA coursing through my veins was such an intense reality. All I could say after this experience was I want more repeatedly over and over again. I think He gave me a taste to push me in deeper. God tends to do that sort of thing. It is not as if He is teasing us, but it is to bring us to a place closer to Him. He uses experiences like this to entice us to Him in the secret place. He is worth it all.

                His love was so intensely thick. I could breathe His very breath. I could feel His blood pumping throughout my entire body. I just rested in Him, eyes closed, hands open, one focus, and I found Him (Matthew 7:7). My head was lying on the very chest of my beloved (John 13:23). His heartbeat was so audibly saying, “I love you and my desire is to be with you.” He told me that He had commissioned me to go. He is sending me and that all I have to do is meet Him in the secret place. It was a very residual presence I felt that night. I can, in fact, feel the very presence of God as I type this. He kept saying I am looking at you. I could feel His burning desire for me. I was so hot I began to sweat. It was as if the very fire from the altar of God had come down from heaven and rested upon me. He said He longed for me more deeply than a man longs for a wife. He said that the internal burning that I have in my heart is more magnified in His heart. What love He has for those who seek Him. Those that are hungry command His presence. To have revelation of this love is an amazing thing. We must understand that this experience I had is not just a one-time deal. This is something that we should be experiencing all the time. We just need to tap into the revelation of who He is.

                I just pray that those who read this get an experience greater than the one that I had. Lord I pray that you give a breakthrough for their hearts. That you impart in them a sense of intimacy so that they are filled with Your love, so that they can return that love to you. I pray that you give them a Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. Enlighten the eyes of their understanding so that they will know the inheritance that they have in You. Lord give them a breakthrough for their minds, so that Your thoughts become their thoughts. Give to them wisdom and direction. Let them hear Your voice clearly so that they can obey You promptly. Lord give them the revelation that Your DNA courses through their very veins. I bless You Lord, and give You all the glory and honor. I want to thank You Lord for giving me such an experience with You. You are worth it all, and I would give up so much more just to be with You a bit more closely. You are my desire to live.

An Exhortation

I cannot get past this burning in my heart to exhort the Body. I feel as if my heart is exploding with grief for others. All I have been able to do is to try to uplift the hearts of others, and encourage them to keep pressing through the place of squeezing. This is no doubt a time of testing for most of the Body of Christ. I cannot explain what I am feeling right now. It is like a Spiritual sugar rush that cannot be contained. I want to gather the masses and yell as loud as I can KEEP FIGHTING! He is with you through this time each step of the way. He has not left you, because you do things that please Him (John 8:29). When we trudge through these times of hardship He finds delight in us, because of our heart that has faith in Him. We must not let our hearts grow weary, but instead strive through these birthing pangs. With each contraction we hurt more as our flesh is being squeezed and pruned. We want to run to the hills and hide in the cave as Elijah did (1 Kings 19). God is calling us back out of the cave and has given us sustenance to survive the next stage in our walk with Him. The vision is very clear before our eyes what God has us to do, and that is to seek Him like we never have before. The harder it gets the more we need to search for Him. He is looking for the Brides of desperation. The ones that will give it all at all cost for just moment with Him in His house. We are all capable of walking in His fullness and in the destiny He has for us.

                I see a vision of a boxer that is going round for round with a heavyweight fighter. Each round the boxer is getting battered and brutalized. It isn’t until the bell rings when the boxer goes to his corner he gains a new sense of strength and renewal. He is strong again to go another round of fighting. God is in our corner when it feels that we are getting pounded by the enemy. He is there giving us strength to keep fighting the good the fight. In the end the score card will read that we have won the fight, because we have overcome by the Blood of the Lamb! We are fighting a fight that we already know the outcome to. Satan has been defeated! It may look in the natural that we are not winning the fight, but in the Spirit are victorious. 2 Corinthians 4:18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.  It seems as everywhere I look in the Word it is an exhortation to keep pressing through the trials we are facing. It seems to be harder than ever, because we are stepping into a greater anointing and inheritance than the Body has ever had. God is surely extending His favor to us, and He is our shield of protection. When it seems as if all is lost and we are being battered God replenishes our strength and wraps us in His wings. He is neutralizing the fiery darts that are trying to come against us.  Beloved, we are in a season of the miraculous works of the Almighty God. Do not give up what has already been given to you. Do not give up your royal crown for a cheap Burger King imitation, because it makes everything feel better. This is an hour to exhort even if you are going through more hell than anyone else. Do not look for a pity party, or complain about what you are going through. Turn your mourning to joy, and exhort your fellow brother in Christ. I am not saying that you cannot talk about what you are going through, but do not talk about it to get attention. Strengthen yourselves in the Lord as David did. He loves us so much He has poured about sufficient grace for this hour. You will live and not die! You have been appointed to where you are at for such a time as this! Arise from your slumber of depression and pity, and watch and pray! In Matthew 26 in the garden Jesus told His disciples repeatedly to watch and pray lest temptation befalls on you. He said you flesh is weak, but your Spirit is willing. Do not surrender what is already yours! We are all able to live by the Spirit. That is why Christ left, so that He could leave the Holy Spirit with us in order to fight through these times.

                Glory to God! I see a water flow of breakthrough for the Body! It feels as if we are pounding our heads on the wall, but the wall is breaking. The water is leaking out of the wall! The wall is crumbling and the water of breakthrough cannot be held back any longer! The birthing time of the vision that God has instilled in your Spirit is coming forth. His hands are waiting for the delivery so that He can catch the baby the moment it is birthed. Through Him this vision is grown and nurtured. Do not lose your vision in this day. When your vision seems dead pray that God opens yours eyes to His vision!  Hallelujah! HAHA! The victory is ours sayeth the Lord! The trumpets of victory are blowing! Visions are being restored! We cannot be held back from what God has put in us. Keep going! Do not lay down your swords! You are not alone! Your brothers in Christ are with you! If God is for us who can be against us (Romans 8:31)! Nothing can overcome our Spirits, because God is in our corner. We are just buffeting our bodies as a boxer does! We are taking shots, but our Spirit grows stronger with each hit, and we are not losing this fight! Be of good courage, and continue to fight the good fight! You are not alone and others are with you! I for one am by your side fighting on the front line with you! He is leading the fight, so we cannot lose! Praise be to God! Glory and Honor to the Rock on High! He is the Alpha and Omega! The First and the Last! The Father of Glory! The Father of Lights! You are our Friend, Father, and Bridegroom!

Keep Pushing

I know I haven’t blogged in a little under or month or so, but this season of my life hasn’t really allowed me to do so. We must know the season that we are in, because there is a time for everything as the wise man Solomon wrote in the beginning of the third chapter of Ecclesiastes. This season has probably been one of the most difficult seasons of my life. I am walking out 2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Each of us has a promise from God, a vision from God, and an inheritance from God. It is in the wilderness place and the place of tribulation that those things are grown and eventually birthed.  God has been emphasizing that I stay in a place of peace, and praise. James 1:1-4 has what I have been continually trying to live throughout the past month and a half. When the times get harder we must praise Him. When times look bleak we must praise Him. When times are desolate we must praise Him, and when times looks impossible we must praise Him. I believe that praising Him more through the tough times than the good times builds a stronger relationship, but we are to praise Him equally in each season.

                I had recently talked to my father about a little of what I have been growing through, and I told him that even though things are difficult I am in a place of peace beyond my understanding (Philippians 4:7). I have so much peace it is in a way freaking me out. Situations that used to bother me no longer bother me. People that used to bother me no longer bother me. I do not even really feel like myself. I am so calm while the storm is swirling around me. Praise God that He has given me grace for such a season. He never gives us more than we can handle, and His grace is sufficient through each step in our lives. We must understand that the only way to get to the promises that God has for us we must cross the desert to get there. The Israelites could not get out of the desert for 40 years, because they were unwilling to incline their ears to what God was tell them. We must be obedient (Deuteronomy 28) in order to leave the wilderness and step into the promises of God. It seems that with each vision that we get from God comes a bigger desert to cross, but thank God for the desert. If it weren’t for the times in the desert than we would all be spoiled immature Christians. He takes us through the wilderness to see what we are made of, to build our character, and to make sure we will be able to handle our inheritance correctly. We must persevere through the hard times with the knowledge that the promises of God are at the other end of the desert.  

                Jesus Himself was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness (Matthew 4). In the wilderness place Jesus was tempted by satan, but overcame by the Word of God. In the wilderness place we must never grow weary from persecution, but stand fast on the Word of God. Intimate time with God, praising His glorious name, and staying in the Word are key aspects to getting through the wilderness to attain the promise. I love how Jesus had to go through various trials to reach the vision that God had laid before Him, because it always shows that we can do the same since He dwells in us. How amazing is it to know that we will be able push out the vision that God has impregnated us with. I heard His voice clearly this morning say to me “Keep Pushing.” It is as though at times in this season that I am having birth pangs deep within my Spirit. I can see the vision ahead of me, but it seems but just a bit out of my grasp. We must keep pushing, we must keep persevering through these times, because if we do not darkness wins. If you are not obedient to God, He will give the opportunity to somebody else who is willing to embrace the pain. I refuse to give up my birthright to somebody else, because I could not call upon God to give me strength to keep pursuing what He has for me. It is as if He is a parent standing at the side of a pool cheering His kid on to finish the race to the other end of the pool. The race may be difficult and tiring, but in the end is a sweet reward and season accomplished.  Could you imagine what life would be like if Christ did not embrace the wilderness place? Would He have done all of the signs and wonders that He did? Would He have died on the cross for our sins? These are just questions I ponder from time to time that keep me motivated to keep pushing. You never know who is going to be affected by you attaining, with God, the vision that He has given you. Your vision could very well shape the course of history. We must remember that He has given us a vision so that we can accomplish it together, and that we are never alone (John 8:29/ 1 Thessalonians 5:24).

                I pray Lord that we all continue to keep pushing through each season of our lives so that we can accomplish with You what You have set us out to do. I pray that You bless us with peace and unyielding strength (Psalms 29:11) to survive the wilderness. I pray Father that you give us revelation and knowledge of You through these seasons, and that You enlighten the eyes of our understanding (Ephesians 1:17-18). I also pray that new songs of praise come forth through us, so that we can give You all the honor, all the glory, and all the praise for each promise we receive. Instill in us teachable spirits, so that we may learn Your ways. I pray for wisdom and discernment to abound in each of. We love You from the depths of our hearts. You are the One that we live for. You are the One that we want. Reveal Your face to us, so that we can look into Your eyes of fire. Your will be done Father, and we bless You.  Thank You for Your manifest presence as I can feel it falling down on me as I write this. May each person that reads this have an encounter with Him, and may each of you be blessed. Amen!

A Creed for a New Breed

               It has been an absolutely overwhelming day with the Lord today. I have been in deep communion since I woke up this morning. He has spoken to me so clearly today it is as if my ears have come unclogged. I had one of the most prophetic experiences of my life today when I went for a 5 mile jog. The weather was a bit poor outside; in fact it was raining steadily when I decided to leave my house to go run. At that moment God said “There is a creed for this new breed”.  I will get to more of that a bit later, but He said this new breed is one that will run out in the storm with Me with full trust that I will protect them. Recently, since I have decided to not take a job and be in the ministry full time, my faith has been greatly stretched for Him to provide. Not only has He provided to pay my bills, but has given me over and above. Obedience commands a blessing. I cannot reiterate that statement enough. Anyway as I continued to run, and I finally got to the trail that I run often I noticed nobody else was out there. The storm had deterred the others away from running on the path. This spoke volumes to me at that moment. He said, “Son at times it will seem as if you are running this race alone, but remember no matter what the conditions look like around you I am always there guiding you on the path of righteousness.” The clouds were almost pitch black dark, there were thundering’s and lightning’s, the rain had increasingly grew heavier, but the sun shone brightly through the clouds. I asked God the only thing that is missing is a rainbow, and I asked Him to show me a rainbow (There was none in sight in any direction). I began to turn through one of the curves in the path and sure enough there was a rainbow in the sky. God is so faithful this was really stirring my Spirit even more, because I know this was a symbol that I will have greater peace.

                Now let me get down to the prophetic part of the run. With all the elements that were around me it really felt as if I was at the throne room of God. God really brought to me a heaven on earth experience. If you read Revelation 4 you will understand what I am talking about. There was lightning and thunder all around me as I ran symbolizing the power of His Majesty. The sun shone brightly through the clouds overtaking the darkness. I could not look into the Son, because of how bright it was. It seemed to be more vibrant than ever before. The rainbow was one of beauty (Revelation 4:3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald); you could see every color in it so distinctly. I have been longing to go to the throne room of God, but God said let me show you my throne room here in the natural. It was as if the heavens opened up during my run. I did not want it to ever end. I cannot even begin to describe how beautiful everything around me was. The colors were more vibrant and the air more crisp. God said, “We must have storms in our lives so that when they cease, we have a more clear vision of what His desires are for us”. It felt as though the wind was blowing straight through me as I ran. It was as if I was getting a new baptism in the Spirit as on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).  What an experience it was with God. He said more and more of this generation is going to get to experience heaven on earth. More of this generation is going to get to come to my throne room to spend time with me.

                The scriptures that kept resounding in my Spirit were the following:

John 17:24

24 "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

Matthew 3:17

17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

                He said to me that this new breed is going to be one that understands that My desire is to be with them wherever I am, so that they behold My glory. This is a breed that will understand that for no reason I cry out to them, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This generation is not one that is looking for popularity or fame. This generation is one that will walk in full assurance that they are My Brides, and they will know my heartbeat. This is a generation that will burn brightly as My seraphim do here in heaven. I have placed a passionate fire in this generation for Me and My people. They will arise and take up their swords. They will conquer any giant that stands in their path. They will understand and know that there is a cause. This new breed will fight not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. This generation will understand the fruit of the Spirit in the way they were intended. They are endued with the power of love, the power of joy, the power of peace, the power of patience, the power of kindness, the power of gentleness, the power of goodness, the power of faithfulness, and the power of self-control. These are their weapons and they tear down strongholds when I use them through them. This generation is one of brokenness so that I may mold them into My image. They understand that I made them in My image, and I am not made in theirs. This is the creed for this new breed. They are love warriors in My name. The roar from their Spirits has come forth, and I have awakened the groan. They are My love vessels whom intercede day and night, and incline their ears to my voice. They are chosen for such a time as this!

Being Faithful Over a Few Things

Matthew 25:21

21 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

                I have been mulling over being a servant for about the past month or so, and God keeps highlighting scriptures to me that give me hope to keep pressing forward. I am not going to lie I have been a bit frustrated with where I am at right now. I seem to have a large vision which God has given me, but no immediate goal set before me. Matthew 25:21 is showing that when you are faithful over a few and what seem to minor things, He will make you a ruler over many things. I have taken a position as a youth pastor at Touched By Grace recently, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to pour into the one youth that we have. It is a privilege to water good seed in the generation that will precede me. In fact, that is the way the Body should be. We as elders should mentor the ones that are younger not only in age, but in the Lord as well. What I have been having a hard time with is the fact that I have this great vision that God has given me on what He wants to accomplish through me, and the vision seems nowhere in sight. It is amazing how our lives parallel in different seasons to different scriptures. God has been saying to me be faithful with what I have given you at this moment, for when you prove your faithfulness there is when more will come. The parable that Jesus was speaking in Matthew 25 was one of the talents. One servant was given 5 talents, the other two talents, and the other one talent. When the master came back to see what they had done with the talent that was given to them the one that had 5 multiplied it as did the servant that was given 2. On the other hand, the servant that was given 1 talent squandered their talent and buried it in fear of losing it. The person with 5 talents then got the servant’s one talent. I write all of that to say that it does not matter what God has given you in this season of your life. What matters is what you do with the talent or favor that He has extended to you. If you want more responsibility you must be faithful with what He has given you now without complaining, but with a heart of joy.

                Another person God highlighted in the Word to me about all this was the story of Stephen. He popped up somewhere in Acts 6, and died at the end as a martyr at the end of Acts 7. At the beginning of Acts 6 the disciples were getting complaints from the Hellenists that their widows were not being fed. The disciples did not have time to do this so they had to delegate to the task to others. They chose 7 men that had to be full of the Holy Spirit, one of which was mentioned was Stephen. In fact in Acts 6:5 it says that Stephen was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. It did not mention such things about any of the other men. Stephen’s ministry started out with serving widows food eat. Here is this man that is full of the Holy Spirit that was likely there on the Day of Pentecost serving widows food. It did not say he complained about doing so, but did what God gave him to do at the time. Stephen was proven faithful with what God had given to him. Stephen had a fire shut up in his bones and did not allow what he was given to do stop him from what the Spirit unctioned him to do. In Acts 6:8 is reads, “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.” Here was a man that was faithful and fed widows now performing signs and wonders among the people. His faith even goes further than that. In the end of Acts 6 people grew upset with Stephen and plotted against him. They took him to court and had others lie against him and say that he was blaspheming God. Through the court process He basically read them the Word from the beginning all the way up to the point where he called all of the murderers of Christ. He did not hold back one bit to let these men know that they were trapped in the law of religion. He stood up for what He believed in, and who he had faith in. At the end of Acts 7 the people grew so angry with him they gnashed their teeth against him, and began to stone him. As the stone were hitting the face of this man that had the appearance of an angel (Acts 6:15) he saw open heaven and Jesus standing, not sitting, at the right hand of God. He was so faithful with what God gave him that He caused Jesus to stand up off the throne as if He was giving Stephen a standing ovation for his faithfulness. Stephen then did something more amazing than that he asked God to forgive the ones that were murdering him for they did not know what they were doing. This is such an amazing two chapters about a man that was a waiter to widows.  Stephen went from serving tables, to seeing open heavens, to having Jesus giving him a standing ovation for his faithfulness. It made me realize more it is not what God has given me now that matters, it is what I do with what He gives me. I find great importance in everything I do for Him, whether it be teaching or taking out the trash. Each task that is assigned to me is something that is given for me to prove myself faithful with a heart of joy. I am just thrilled that God has given me such an opportunity as He has, to help shape the very future of this generation.

There are so many stories in the Word that show this very idea. David had to be faithful with little before he became King. In fact, he had opportunities to take things in his own hands to become King by killing Saul but waited for God’s timing. Can you imagine what would have happened if David would have killed Saul and became King before his time? Would Jesus have been of the seed of David or somebody else? Each step in David’s life shows that he had to be given little before he was able to rule a kingdom. Another person I think of is Elisha. Elisha followed around Elijah for years on end, and there was no record at all that he was ministering or performing any type of miracle. I know he was sitting on the sidelines chomping at the bit, waiting for his opportunity to be used by God. He too waited for God’s timing and was faithful with what God gave him. He was to learn under Elijah before he could get a double portion of what Elijah had. It wasn’t until Elijah left that Elisha was able to start his ministry, and that was because he would not have had the double portion otherwise. Again, I cannot fathom what would have happened had Elisha not waited, and proved himself faithful.

Here we have a man that went from a waiter to a martyr, another man that went from a shepherd to a King, and another man that went from a student to a prophet of double portion all by being faithful with the little that God had given to them. This past month has taught me so much about how it is to be a servant, and how we need to be patient and wait on God’s timing for everything. I find great joy in being able to serve others with the knowledge that I am doing it from a heart of love, and that I am being faithful with what God has for me in this season. Yes I want more, but that is a natural desire of our hearts. God has put that desire for more in our Spirit so when the time comes we will be ones that are on fire with the vision that He supplanted in us.

Lord I pray that You continue to give us direction with where we are supposed to go. I pray that You give us ears to hear, and that we can discern Your voice. Let us hear You clearly and obey You promptly. Teach us how to be joyous and faithful with what You have given us in this season of our lives. I know the new season is here, but I ask that You give us a fresh vision of what it to come in the days ahead. I pray from open heavens of the Body in this season. I pray that we soak in Your wisdom, knowledge, and revelation. I pray that we are found faithful in Your eyes, and that we can be the Kings that You have set us out to be. Continue to mold us Lord into the perfect vessels you see us as. I love You. I worship You. I magnify Your Holy name Father. I love Your beautiful splendor, and I seal this prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen!

A Beautiful Addiction

I haven’t really had the urge to write anything in what seems to be ages, but I cannot get past something that I have been dwelling on the last month or so. Before I fell in love with God I lived a life full of addictions. I was addicted to drugs, alcohol, women, sports, adrenaline, and cigarettes. Now I have really shifted spiritually to becoming addicted to Jesus. I look at the way the world is now, and how we all seem to live lives of addiction in our own ways. I believe that we were created to be addicts, addicts of the presence of God! There is something grafted into our spirits that long to addicted to something, and when it is not God it becomes things of this world. I am not saying that we can’t like things, but we are not to become addicted to them. The definition of addicted is being compulsively or physiologically dependent on something habit-forming. We are to habitually depend on Him. Too often do we depend on man to provide for us. We are addicted to feeling empowered by voting for people on television. We are addicted to having the newest electronical device to be current with society. We are addicted to reality television, where we live vicariously through others. We are addicted to sports, because we feel as if we are a part of something great. When all the while God made us to be addicted to Him, for He is already addicted to us. His love for us is so unconditional it is mind blowing. We are the only creatures that He took the time to place His very hands on to mold us into His likeness. He has the same addictive characteristics that we do, but He harnesses it with love for us. This reality has shaken me to the very core of my existence. I am not saying we cannot partake in the things that we enjoy, but we should not allow them to be put ahead of Him in any circumstance. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard God’s voice to spend time with Him that I ignored, because an exciting sports event was going on. I was seemed to be more entertained with what I was watching on television then the reality that God wanted to spend time with me. When I gained a revelation of this it broke my heart.  Have I arrived to the point where I run away from every enticing gaming event yet? No, unfortunately not but I have realized what I am doing. I am progressively getting better, and aside from playoff time I rarely watch sports as much as I used to. All I am saying is if watching a television show or a movie is more important than time with we God you need a reality check. God is more entertaining than anything in this world. I am still trying to get my head to catch up with my spirit on that, but I know that it is truth. How is a God of joy boring? How is a God that created all things dull? He isn’t He is the most entertaining Person in the world, and we have become addicted to false entertainment.

                I began to really look at those in the Bible that gave everything to Him, and lived a life after God. Back then they did not have all the bombardment of their sense that we have today, but they did have the choice to be addicted to God or not. I look at David and think to myself what makes a man write as many Psalms as he did. It was no other reason than the fact that He was addicted to the loving presence of God. David was so enamored with God that all He did was daydream about Him all day (Psalms 27:4). He would sit and sing praises to God, because of an addiction. Here is the future king of Israel who could have had any form of entertainment to His liking, and He chose to be entertained by God and God alone. Next I move to Daniel, who was thrown into a lion’s den for refusing to give up praying to God. Here was a man that was basically second in command of the Persian Empire at the time (Daniel 6) who was willing to give it all up, even to death, because of his addiction to God. Daniel could not give up his time of prayer, because I believe that he needed it to survive. It was as though he could no longer live if he could not communicate with his addiction. We need to allow ourselves to be allured into the place where we are addicted to worshiping God, praying with God, and in essence communing with Him. Now I move to Stephen who was accused of being a false witness of Christ. This man lived with a sole purpose of carrying out what God had set before him. He was falsely accused, and when brought to court gave one of the most powerful speeches I have read in the Word. He did not waver one inch from the very convictions in his heart, or give one ounce of instability to what he knew as truth. He got stoned to death, and even in that moment he looked to the heavens and asked God to forgive them (Acts 7). Each of these men faced grave adversity, which at most times led to dire consequences. When you are addicted to the God nothing else in this earth matter, because when it is all said in done everything but Him is just dust. We need our eyes opened to the very reality of what we long, and if it isn’t Him we need an awakening. Addiction is in our very DNA because God put it there hoping and longing that we would use it the way He does. He uses the addiction in Himself to love us, and we were made to do the very same. I know people that are addicted to relationships, and this is just a parallelism of what it is supposed to be like. Instead of wanting to be in a relationship with others, whether platonic or romantic, burn to be in a relationship with the One that will love you more than anyone else ever could. He is looking for the Bride once again that will be addicted to Him. In other words, He is looking for the burning ones to arise. To be addicted to Him is to be a burning one for Him.

                Lord I pray that You grip us with the reality of addiction. I pray that You help purge out all addiction in our lives, and that we are only addicted to You Father. Put a holy addiction deep within this nation Father. Let the youth arise with an addiction to You instead of addictions to things of this world. We can no longer be held back by sensory pleasing things, for You are the ultimate pleasure. I pray that all of the senses that You have given us be awakened to find goodness in You. Let us be able to use these senses the way You originally intended them to be. Let us use are eyes to see Your beautiful face, our ears to hear Your thundering voice, our nose to smell Your sweet fragrance, our tongues to taste the honey of Your Word, and our hands to touch Your heart for us. Awaken us God, and let us be gripped with an addiction to You. Let us not be able to go a moment without yearning for Your presence. Let us learn to tap into Your presence wherever we are. We want more of You Father. Take us deeper than ever before. Show us something new that we have never seen. We want Your embrace. We want Your hands to engulf us once again. Our hearts our crying out for a new addiction, and we want that addiction to be You. 

Are They Worth It?

               During the last and final retreat as an intern I had an experience with God that really changed my perspective of quite a few things. This experience was unlike any experience I had ever had in my entire life. I really hit a deep level of intercession midway through Saturday night. I was praying for the women that were coming into the throne room. For those who were not at the Retreat or have any idea of what I am referring to let me explain. We do Retreats with visual aids to help show people what God is trying to convey. All we are doing is giving a visual representation. This time we had a throne room on stage with a throne seated in the middle, and when the ladies would walk down the aisle a person playing Jesus would extend a scepter to them, and tell them to touch it. If you don’t understand just read the book of Esther and it will explain it all. Anyway back to the experience that I had with God. I was praying to God saying, “Lord let them feel Your heartbeat. Wrap them up in Your heart Daddy. Reveal Your true love to them”. It was a very simple prayer, but the more I prayed it the stronger I felt His love. I later moved from the stairs where I was praying into the throne room on stage in a corner. There is where I continued to pray, and His love became so overwhelming I began to weep. I was completely wrapped in the heart of God. I could feel His actual heart pulsating loudly for each person that came on stage. He then asked me, “Are they worth it”. We a loud wail I responded “Yes, each one of them are worth it. They are worth everything”.

                The past two years have been a lot of hard work, and at times it didn’t seem that there was much reward or fruit so to speak. It is a good thing that I understand that my treasures are not stored here on earth, but in heavenly places (Matthew 6:19-20). In reality I could be upset that I have a degree and am not using it. I could be upset that these past two years I could be making forty plus thousand a year instead of living off sponsorships. I am not upset one bit. In fact, I am beyond blessed. I gained a revelation that night that no dollar amount could replace. Being in the ministry is not about me one bit, it is about those that I serve. Being a leader means being a servant to those that you lead. My life is to be dedicated to others. My life is to be dedicated to plowing the field for the younger generations that are coming after me. Each struggle and act of obedience is all worth it if just one life is changed in the process. I want the young ones behind me to know the love of God deeper than me. This isn’t about how anointed I am, or wanting nobody I serve to seem more anointed than me. It is about being a disciple to others, building them up, and encouraging them to be who God called them to be. I still have selfish mindsets from time to time, but they are less frequent than they used to be. I am now a youth pastor, and with that responsibility proceeds. My actions could possibly dictate how young people view God. Each person in this world is worth all the blood, sweat, and tears that I have poured out thus far. I have absolutely nothing to give, but what the Father puts in me to.

When I felt the very heartbeat of God for those women it tore me apart. He loves each of us so much our minds cannot even begin to fathom such a love. It was so overwhelming. I wept and interceded for hours. Now I know how John felt when He had to give a description of what the throne room of God was like in Revelation 4. There is no human words I can put in plain text to describe this experience I had. It was like a high that I have never felt before. I was intoxicated in His love. He kept asking over and over, “Are they worth it? Is she worth it?” I continued to cry out “Yes”. The more women that came through the more powerful I could feel His love. It was like I wasn’t even on earth. My body was there, but my Spirit was with Him. He let me feel His heart. He let me hear what His heartbeat sounds like. It is an extremely loud beat that seems to say I love you. If we can only understand that our walk is not for us, but for others. Jesus did not even come here to be served, but to serve. Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth and washed the feet of His disciples (John 13:1-17). He is altogether meek and lowly, yet we have ministers that are building a platform for themselves. We need to remember that there is no higher name in this world than the name of Jesus. He is the King of Kings, and if He has the highest name and served others why are we not doing the same. What if Christ said, “You know Father, I just don’t think they are worth it”. I can say that I do not even want to think about that situation. As Christians (which means followers of Christ) need to live up to what we say we are. If you call yourself a Christian actually walk as He walked. This again all stems from love, and understanding that we are not here for ourselves, but for others. Our revelation of God is not even for us, but is to be used to transform us into Christ and to share with others in hope that they gain a revelation of Him as well. My heart is breaking for the Body. We are so lost in ourselves; we have lost the true meaning of why we are here. In Matthew 23:11 Jesus says, “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant”. Jesus was not one to embellish or exaggerate anything. He truly meant everything that He said. If you want to be greater you have to serve. We need the cry of “They are worth it” to arise once again. I am not different I need this cry as well. Let us gain an understanding of His heart for us and for others. He loves us more than life itself, and proved that on the cross.

Lord I pray that You awaken a cry in us for the people in this earth. Awaken a Body that lives to serve as You served. Lord let us learn meekness from Jesus. Let us feel Your very heart beating for us and for others. Lord I pray that we cast aside all selfish ambition of being the greatest at this and that, and You instill a heart in us to build up others over ourselves. Lord awaken a deeper love for You in this generation. Father we need the eyes of our understanding enlightened so that we can gain a better knowledge of who You are, and not what we want You to be. Lord let each person that reads this feel Your very heartbeat deeper than what I experienced. Lord let us understand that all of us are anointed children of You, and that You have put Your words in our very mouths. Let us understand that You love us so much that You knew us before we were formed in Your womb. I can feel Your fiery love right now Father. Pour this love through this page, transform lives, mend hearts, and establish a Bride that walks as You walked. I can feel Your heart again Father. I can hear the melodic pounding resounding with the words I love you. Overwhelm us Father with Your presence. They are worth it Father, worth it all. My life means nothing if I cannot pour out what You have given me. I seal this prayer in Jesus name. Amen!

It's a process

Romans 6:1-2

1 WHAT SHALL we say [to all this]? Are we to remain in sin in order that God's grace (favor and mercy) may multiply and overflow?

2 Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?

                I think Paul said it the best way possible in this scripture when he states that just because God’s grace abounds, it does not give us an excuse to continue to sin. He later states that we cannot continue to live in sin if we die to it. The further I get in this journey with God the more I realize that it is really all just a process. Yes, I still screw up from time to time. Yes, I miss God every so often, but that does not mean that I am not a righteous man of God. I am beginning to realize that I am going to screw up every now and again, but God’s grace is not an excuse to do so.  I strive to become as Christ like as possible, but I have to face the fact that I am not Him, but He is in me. Him in me is what makes me perfect, and there is nothing I can do in my own strength to be perfect. He has taken me so far from where I was at a few years ago; it really befuddles me that I used to be the person who I was. My ideologies were so worldly based that I was a product of this world instead of being who I really was, a product of God. I, as most people are, am my worst critic. I am constantly getting on myself about things that I do or say that are not Christ like. If I am not careful I judge myself, and do the one thing God frowns on the most, I begin to grow disdain of who I am. The one thing God wants is for us to love who we are. He created us a certain way, and instead of being hard on ourselves we need to realize that this walk is a process. We are to be constantly growing closer to Him. We walk through things so that we can grow in Him. I do not know one person that is mighty in God that has not been through some major trials in their lives. If we want to ascend closer to holiness, we need to go through some crap. I am not coming to you with eloquence of speech, but with the voice that God gave me (1 Corinthians 2:1). This has been something that I have been dealing with for quite some time. Like I said before I am not perfect, and I miss God sometimes but that will never make me forget who I am, a righteous royal heir of God. Knowing that God has mercy on me does not make me feel fine with sinning any longer, but in fact draws me closer to Him because of His love to show mercy. His love is so unconditional it really blows my mind. As Lavonne states quite often, “In spite of me, God loves me.” I know that I have nothing without Him. I have no power, I have no knowledge, and I have nothing without Him. He is my creator and is constantly purging me in this process to be more like Him. He is who we were created to be like. He stated in Genesis 1 that He created us in His own likeness. We need to not worry about how imperfect we are, but focus on this beautiful process that He is taking us through. I am by no means limiting God that He cannot purge somebody into perfection instantaneously, but I am stating that with me it is a process.

                The definition of a process is something that is subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition. He is constantly treating and molding us for a purpose. This is why in Isaiah He states that God is the potter and we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8). With each step and decision of our lives He is molding us with His very own hands to create a perfect vessel that He places Himself in. I believe that there are seasons in our life where we are being shaped in different ways so that we can consume who He is for what we have to go through. In fact, each season of our life is like this. He never gives us more than we can handle. The fact that He is shaping me with His hands through each step of my life brings me an overwhelming sense of joy. That scripture alone makes this process much more bearable. He loves us so much that if we allow Him to, He will always have His hands on us molding us into His image. We need to not hate that process, but to only embrace it. I have never seen a pot that looked beautiful in the beginning stages of its molding. It was only after the completion and purifying fire that the vessel looked perfect and beautiful.

                Here is another analogy God gave me. It reminds me a bit of Psalms 1:3 where those that are after God are planted as trees near the river. I was sleeping one night this past week and He woke me up and told me the process of the growth of an oak tree. He told me, “An oak does not grow large in a day. It starts out as a mere seed, and it gets watered, and it gets sun, then it sprouts and takes root.” In this process with God, we start off as a small seed that gets planted in soil. The soil represents the Word of God that we are to take root in which produces strength. The water represents the Holy Spirit, and the sun represents the Son of God. As we grow in the Word, and become able to discern the Holy Spirit we begin to sprout closer to the Son. If you think about it the taller an oak tree gets the closer it gets to the sun. This is the same thing in the spiritual realm. The more we grow in the Word and understanding of God the more we become Christ like. Through this process we are building a closer relationship with God.

                God I just want to pray that we all gain understanding that this walk is a process. I pray that we gain the revelation that each day we move closer to you. I pray that we let the Holy Spirit guide us, and let us learn how have our ears opened to hear Your voice. Give us an increase of wisdom and discernment in our lives Lord. Let us love ourselves the same way that You do, so that when we slip up we can learn from the experience and grow in You. I pray that You break me, shape me, and mold me in Your hands so that I can be the perfect vessel You see me as. Let us all gain an understanding that we all have clay feet, and in a gaining of this understanding we show others the same mercy that You show us. I pray that our soul longing is for You, and only You. I pray that this generation be gripped by Your hands so that they too can begin the process of becoming like You. Let us understand that Your mercy is not to be taken for granted, but to drive us deeper into Your heart. I cannot pray for anything but for this generation to know Your heartbeat. Holy Spirit water us so that His hands can more easily mold us as clay. Amen!

A Lovesick Generation

               I just got finished writing my last blog post, “The Emotions of God” and something continued to stir inside of me again. I am gaining that sense of urgency yet again. I have a new sense of passion for God that is truly deeper than ever before. The flame in my spirit for Him began to well up to a higher heat of intensity. I can hear Him calling me by name yet again. His presence is falling on my face now as I type. It is such a heavy presence of love consuming my entire being. He is in the very room with me enticing me to go into a communing place with Him. I am more lovesick for Him than I have ever been in my life. This passion left me for a few months, but I continued to dig and pursue Him no matter what I felt like, and He has faithfully given me this burning yet again. It is like a deep groaning in my inner man for a higher knowledge for who He is. It is like being fulfilled but empty all at the same time. His presence is so magnificent and fulfilling, but it only leads me to longing for more and understanding I will never have enough. It is an hour to become addicted to Christ. It is a time where nothing else should matter, but to spend just a moment in His presence. We are to relish the times that we have with Him. He reminisces of these special moments with Him. He desires for us to have a lovesick feeling for Him for all of eternity as He is lovesick for us. I am so in love with Him just to feel Him with me is so overwhelming. My emotions are growing and tears are welling up. I cannot control myself, but to cry out for more, and to ask that He reveals more of who He is to me. His very breath is in the room that I type in. I can feel His wind swirl throughout the room, and it is only for the reason that I have called out to Him. He is here because I long for Him to be with me. He is here to let me feel His emotions that He has for me and others. He knows that I am truly lovesick for Him, and His people. I can feel His hand on the covenant place in my heart. I just pray that those that read this have this same encounter with Him. I just pray that you too become lovesick for the One that has created us to love Him. We need to get to the point where we eat less, sleep less, and live righteously without even knowing it because of our passion to pursuing Him. I can feel a Holy griping in my heart that is alluring me closer to Him. He longs for the same with you. He wants to allure you to His heartbeat. Let us have the same experience that John had with God in John 13:23, “23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” Let us rest on the very bosom of Christ. Let us lay on His chest to hear His heartbeat for us. With each beat of His heart, His heart is saying, “I love you, I long for you, come up here, spend time with me, I burn for you, and you are my beloved.” To have a lovesick generation is to have a generation that will change the global atmosphere.

                With lovesickness for Him as you walk, His love protrudes through the darkness of this world. With His love in you no enemy can overcome. His love is what conquered sin, and He is asking us to walk in that very same love. I know I used this scripture in a blog a few weeks back, but I cannot get away from it. Jeremiah 2:2, “2 "Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the Lord: "I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown.” He is remembering the times that we went after Him with everything that we had. He wants us to become as lovesick for Him as He is for us. He wants us back into His embrace, in the covenant place with Him. O beloved, the secret place with Him is so overwhelming. I am really having a hard time keeping myself together as I type this, because His presence is resting over me so heavily right now. My eyes are pouring tears like a river flows violently from its mouth. My belly feels as though it is going to burst, because it is so full of His love. I am feeling such a holiness, such a love, and such a pleasantry that I cannot contain this passion that I have for the One who created me. He wants to spend time with us only so that we can experience His love.  I am mourning for y’all so that you too can have what I am encountering. This is not a hour to give up, but an hour to press in to the deeper things of God. Let us cry out for more, because we have right now is not enough. He can never give us enough of Himself if we are lovesick for Him. He will always give us more if we ask for more. We cannot be complacent to where we are at right now. Lord a pray for a burning hunger to arise in those that read this. Instill in them a passion greater than their own capacity for You that You can only give. O Lord, let a lovesick generation arise. Let us arise to the positions that we are called to be in. Let us not be wimpy Christians, but mighty love warriors for You that burn with passion.  Let the call come forth, and let the chosen ones assemble. Let us burn aflame with Your love so that lives are transformed just by us passing by. Bring to us a greater presence of You that has ever been on this earth. Let this revival be greater than the revival in Acts Chapter 2. O Lord, each time you knock at my door I fling it wide and invite You in. Take me to the chambers of Your kingdom, so that I can see Your beauty.  Song of Solomon 5:8, “8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, That you tell him I am lovesick!” When you find Him let Him know that I am even more lovesick for Him than ever before. He is asking for us to continue to search for Him, even in the wilderness and destitute place.

                The Shulamite woman was so lovesick for her Bridegroom that she began to declare who He was to her friends in Song of Solomon Chapter 5:10-16. We are to declare the beauty of God. As a man is to compliment a woman, so are we to compliment our Bridegroom. He is always compliments us, telling us how beautiful we are, how lovely we are, and how He delights in us. Let us make the same declarations to Him. Song of Solomon 5:16, “16 His mouth is most sweet, Yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, And this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!” His presence is so sweet, His face is so lovely, His eyes are so enticing, and He is altogether beautiful. To gain the revelation of being a Bride of Christ is a life altering revelation. Nothing can contain this love I have for Him. I feel as though my heart is getting ready to burst at the seams. My heart hurts for a longing for more of Him. Let this lovesick generation arise. Let us cry out to live as He lives, to love as He loves, to yearn as He yearns, and to pray as He prays. O Brides, He is romancing us into the secret place with Him so that when opposition arises we act in a place of love. He has wrapped us in His wings, He is our shield, He is or strength, and He is our strong tower.

                Lord I pray that those that read this feel the flame in their heart for You become rekindled and grow ablaze. I pray that this generation becomes lovesick for you as they once did in their youth. I pray that we return to the old ways, and the ancient paths as those that lived before us. I pray that You pour out the same anointing as those that were on Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Elijah. Let us live as Christ lives, Let us have compassion as He did, let us lead by example, and let us learn who You are. Lord I pray that we burn for You with the same fire that You burn for us. Overtake us with Your presence Lord. Consume us to the very depths of our heart. Let this generation be a generation of holiness and love. Let this generation be one that is not conformed to this world, but transformed into Your likeness. Let us pant after you are the deer pants for the water. Come and awaken a new love that has never been awakened. Wake up Your Brides Lord, so that we as united ones under You can take over this world. Let us dominate this world with Your love. Let these last years to be years that are filled with those who are consumed by Your love. I pray for a holy gripping to take over our hearts. Come Lord, we need more of You. Let us decrease to that You can increase. Give us a deeper understanding and revelation of Your love, and I seal this prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen!

The Emotions of God

God has been really talking to me about His emotions of late, and how people lack the understanding that He is an emotional God. So many people have an ideology that God is just sitting on His throne just looking down on us with much detachment. We have characterized Him into a stoic God with no emotion. Some of us believe that the only emotions He has are negative emotions of anger, disappointment, and resent. We need to stop putting God in the view of our likeness, and begin to view ourselves in His likeness. Throughout the Word it is riddled with the emotions of God.

In Psalms 30:5 it states, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.” In this scripture we can see four emotions of God. First He is a God of anger, but this is not an everlasting anger but a momentary anger. He is a God of righteous anger against the injustices of His people. He is a God of favor, which in turn is a God of pleasure and set affection. I thought it was interesting how in this scripture it was stated that His anger was for a moment, but favor was for a lifetime. Think about that statement for a moment. Most of us believe that His anger is for a lifetime and His favor is for a moment. He has a lifetime set affection for us. He longs for us and burns for us for all of eternity. If we could only grasp just a portion of the reality that He loves us forever no matter what we do. Weeping only endures for a night, but joy always comes in the morning. He is a God of sorrow, but only in a sense that He mourns and intercedes for us. His compassion for us draws Him into weeping. He longs for us to come back to Him as our first love. He is interceding for our eyes to be opened to His beauty. He lives to intercede on behalf of us (Hebrews 7:25 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them). He hears our cries. He knows our desires, and He burns to labor with us in prayer. We have our own free will, and it is a matter of what decisions we make whether or not we see the fullness of Him. He is a joyful God as well. Let us get out of the mindset that God is somber and serious all the time. You must understand that we are made in His image, and let’s face it some people here on earth are hilarious. If people on earth have a sense of humor then God Himself must have a sense of humor. He is very much a Person like it states in the amplified version of Philippians 3:10.

I am a living testimony that once you allow God to take over your life your emotions become His emotions and your desires become His desires. I am not saying that I have everything He wants for me, because I know that I have so much to work on. What I am saying is that from the moment of me laying down my life to serve Him I have become more like Him in the sense of my emotions. I used to be hardened and jaded to people. I had a very negative view on life. There was little joy in my life, and I lived depressed and angry. I had no compassion for others, and simply lived for myself. In the past few years my whole demeanor has changed as a person. I live to serve others, I love what He loves, I hate what He hates, and I burn with compassion for people. When God shows me somebodies heart I cannot control myself and I break down and mourn for them. Tears begin to well up and stream down my face as I intercede for their hearts to be mended and complete. He does the same thing when He sees us get hurt. He breaks down with much emotion and mourns for us. He mourns and intercedes for our pains, and rejoices over our victory. To have the emotions of God is such an important thing, and the only way that is accomplished is to gain a personal relationship with Him. We must gain knowledge of God to know His emotions. He is constantly showing His love by pouring into us His very Person when we search for Him. He shows us His love by having mercy on us, by sending His Son to die for us, and by creating us for the purpose of companionship. Many books in the Bible are parallelisms to the Him as the Bridegroom and us as the Bride. His love is shown throughout the Word, and yet we cannot grasp that His strongest emotion is love. I could give numerous verses in the Word that show that He loves us, that show that He is emotion, and that show that He longs for us. It is completely up to each of us individually to find out how emotional God is by gaining knowledge of who He is. He wants us to know His emotions so that we may live as He does, and that we understand what He is feeling. Do you not want the love of your life to know your feelings and emotions? Do you not want your bride or groom to have a knowledge of who you are, and what is on your mind? He is no different He longs to let us know His emotions, so that we can partake in the interceding for this world. We are to partake of His love, so that we can show others His love. Everything started and will end on this earth with the emotion of love.  It is our inheritance to feel what God feels. John 17:24, "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” There is so much emotion in this cry out to God. Jesus desires for us to be with Him where He is at, so that we can obtain His glory. He wants to be with us. What a weighty reality to have. He loves us so much and desires us so much that He burns for us to be with Him wherever He is at. We are to gain revelation by knowing who God is, and experiencing His love.

Recently I was given the position of youth pastor at the ministry I serve under, Touched By Grace Ministries. If you would have known me before God showed me His emotions you would have questioned such a position. I generally hated children, especially youth. They were annoying, bratty, and all around nuisances to society. Within the first week of being a part of the ministry I developed a love for the kids and the youth. My heart was transformed by God to feel what He felt for them. The young ones in this nation are so lost, and have no knowledge of who God is or what they are called to be. My mandate from heaven is to instill a passion in their hearts to gain knowledge of God by living by example. I am determined and driven to live a life consecrated to God not just because my love for Him, but to show this younger generation that blessings follow obedience, that His favor follows those that truth in Him, and that if you stay in the will of God He will show you your path. I want to lead a youth group that is more on fire than any adult congregation. I long to lead a youth group that lives by example, and are willing vessels to do whatever the Holy Spirit guides them to do. I want a youth group that will fast in pray in these times of crisis. I want a youth group that will lead people back to God’s embrace. This youth group will be one that is here to take over, and take back every soul that satan tried to steal. This youth group will understand that they have an inheritance with God. This youth group will not look at themselves as mere youth, but as righteous and holy warriors for Christ. This youth group will be one to change the world. This is the vision God has given me, this is the emotion God has stirred in me for them, and this is the passion in the wells of my spirit. I will not bend, because I cannot until the mission God has imparted to me is finished. I have been given a love for the youth to lead the youth. I have been given an understanding of serving so I can serve them. He has imparted His emotions into my spirit so that I can live for others. Times may get hard, but His delight in me is my driving force. His passion and love for me is what makes mountains seem like molehills. Let us stand together in the gap for the seed of this world. Let us intercede for them as He does. He yearns for their hearts to be turned away from the idolatry and harlotry of this world so that they may know His love. Let us show these youth who God is and His emotions by being so consumed by Him we only show who He is. Let us arise to take on the emotions of the Lofty One on the throne.

The Love of Your Betrothal

As many of y’all know we just had the first of three women’s retreats up here in Moss Hill, and I can say that this was a much needed weekend of the manifest presence of God. I have been having a very hard time with the mental warfare for the past 2 months or so, and God brought so much clarity this weekend. Prior to this weekend I was noticing that I was becoming a bit more whiney than usual, and my attitude wasn’t the best. I felt so lost, I felt as if the revelation wells had dried, and I no longer felt God. God reminded me that living for Him is not a feeling, but a knowing. At times you are going to walk through some hard things, but that is only in preparation to where you are going. What Lavonne preached this weekend really pierced the depths of my heart. She talked about the preparation of Ester for her king, and that the myrrh oil that was rubbed into her skin daily was for preparation for her to meet her Bridegroom. Myrrh is a representation of bitter oil and during our preparation stages the oil may feel bitter and hard but it is only to prepare us for a new season with the Bridegroom. God began to speak to me, and give me the vision of why I am here and why I am living my life consecrated for Him. I am here to live as an example for my generation, and every generation that is to follow. I have a mandate from God to take back this young generation to live only for Him. I burn in my heart to go after and pray for those young ones that are lost. I burn for them to get off of drugs, to not drink, to not get drawn into sex and pornography, so that they can live lives consecrated towards God. I am to live a life of holiness with no compromise, so that the younger generation can see that it can be done. I am to live this way to prove that not all Christians are just talk. God told me it is not about what you say, but about how you live. He is burning for a generation that has the knowledge of who He is, and that become friends of the Bridegroom as John the Baptist was (John 3:29). God has given us a call to virtue, which leads us into holiness. We are to live not for ourselves, but for the younger ones behind us. I refuse to allow things in the church to continue as usual. We had miracles occur this weekend. People that had to walk with canes walked without them, people that had broken hearts were restored, and people that had torn shoulders were healed. O, to have the glory and wonder restored to the church is what He is calling us to. We are not to whine any longer about what we go through, but are to rejoice for what He is preparing us for.

Jeremiah 2:2

2 "Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the Lord: "I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown.

                This scripture has been griping me to the core of my existence for the past week. I believe this is what God is saying in this very hour. God is so emotional, He has real emotions. He reminisces of the days of our youth. He remembers the beginning days of our Christian walks when we burned with passion for Him. He thinks of the days where we didn’t eat or sleep just because there was another meeting to go. He remembers when we would do anything to get more of Him, and when to just spend time with Him. We need to get back to our first love just as Hagar did with Hosea (Hosea 2:7). We used to go after Him in the wilderness, and now when we see a little lack of rain we abandon Him. Let us get back to the place where we searched for Him in the hardest places of our lives resting in full assurance that we will find Him. Let us sow our time in the wilderness place with Him, so that when He causes it to rain that we reap a good harvest bearing good fruit. He is wooing us to the secret place with Him. He is longing for us to run back to Him in the secret place. He wants to show us His heart. He wants for us to burn for Him as we once did in the early days. Let us run to His feet as Mary did just to hear Him speak (Luke 10:39). It is not about how much work we do, but how much time we allow ourselves to give to have a relationship with Him. The word betrothal means engaged to or promised to marry. He wants us to go back to the place of love as in an engagement. I have never been married or engaged, but I can imagine the excitement and love there is in engagement. Being married to God is no different than being married to a person on earth. The engagement and beginning of the marriage is so wonderful filled with puppy love, but as the marriage progresses it takes continual work. Yet again I speak from no experience but just simply from what I have seen. It takes work to upkeep that same burning love you have for your spouse that you had for them in the beginning. You will go through hard times, but true love endures all things. It is the same with God. You will go through things with Him in the marriage to Him, but you must remember the engagement to Him. He is always wooing us to a deeper place with Him. He is always longing to show us more love, but there comes pain with the growth process. Allow yourselves to rekindle that fire to burn for Him as you once did.

                Lord I pray that each of those people that read this gain a revelation of your love. I pray that they rekindle that first love fire that they had for You in their youth. I pray that they run after you in the wilderness, in the dry place, that they once did as before. I pray that you open their eyes to new facets of who they are in You. Take them deeper Lord, take them deeper in the secret place with You. Spark the same passion in their hearts for You, that You have for them. I pray that when they look at You or hear Your name their eyes burn with passionate desire. I pray a renewal of the kindness of their youth, and the love of their betrothal. We need more Lord. Let us decrease so that You can increase in our hearts. Give us a new understanding of being Your Brides. Teach us to love you when we do not feel Your love. Teach us to press deeper when we do not feel like it. Teach us to praise You when times get harder. O Lord, we long and burn for you as the seraphim do. Let this be sealed upon our hearts Daddy. We need you so much more. Shoot a fire throughout our bones. Send a reviving breath to our Spirits. Let us once again be wooed by Your love. Let there be a new betrothal to You as we had in the beginning. Let there be a longing and burning. Begin to say yes to Him as He asks for your hand. Let Him take you up here as it states in Revelation 4. Allow Him to show you things, great and wondrous things.  Let Him become the very essence of your life once again. Let us return to the place of first love. Do not feel guilty for falling out of love with Him, but yearn to run back to His embrace. Do not settle for where you are at, but yearn and long for more. Allow yourselves to be live in purified devotion for Him. He is awakening love yet again. He is awakening His Bride to a new love, to a deeper love. He wants our hearts flowing for Him like they were in the early day. Let everything for Him come forth from Your heart. Amen!

What is a Christian

I have been pondering this very question for the past few hours while trying to sleep. Sleep has somehow evaded me again tonight, and getting lost in thought I figured I should blog. There are so many today that claim to be “Christian” I just had to bring myself to the realization that most do not know what being Christian is. Society thinks being Christian is just simply saying that you are Christian, but not actually acting on the meaning. The church believes that being a Christian is being a good person, and going to church one to two times a week while putting money in a bucket. Dictionary.com gave the definition of Christian as exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ; Christlike.  Now if being a Christian is exhibiting spirit that is Christlike then our actions are showing completely opposite of what the word itself means.

                When I was still in partying and not doing anything pertaining to Godly things in my life I still would say that I was a Christian. I would say this because of my upbringing of a Christian background, and that I still did believe Christ died for me. I had no revelation of what Christ did for me, but had the generic understanding of it all. I was a hypocrite at this point in my life.  I was smoking vast amounts of marijuana, taking pills, eating mushrooms, drinking alcohol, and living a life of debauchery while saying that I was a Christian. The adjective Christian has become so watered down that everybody thinks they are one if they have opened a Bible, or have been to a church. We need to allow ourselves to get back to the root meaning of what it is to be a Christian. We are to be like Christ was on this earth. We are to be full of love and compassion towards one another. We are to live as servants to others on this earth. We are to encompass the nine fruit of the spirit. We have allowed ourselves to think that we are doing “good” when in fact we are doing nothing. I understand that we are all progressing in God, and this walk is a process but we have grown so complacent with where we are at. There is so much more that we can gain by searching for more of Him. The moment that we stop striving for more of Him and thinking that we are doing good where we are, we have become spiritually immature.

John 13:5

5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

                Jesus led with meekness and humbleness. He washed the feet of the very men that served Him. As ministers we are not to try to preach the gospel to pump up our own name, but to glorify His. To be a Christian is to be a servant. Christ said, “11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:11-12).” Ministers have gotten so lost in their own name that they forget that they are to be servants to their flock. I am personally scared to death to ever get to a point where I want to put my name above God’s name. I pray that I only walk as a servant to others, so that I can only bring glory to Him. Yes, it is great to have people be influenced by what I say and do, but it is better to have God say “Well done, good and faithful servant.” He is the reason that we need to live. He is the One that we need to look to in order to understand how we are to live our lives. Let us walk in love daily not allowing our tempers to get the best of us. I used to have a horrible temper, and I would explode and go on mass tirades over little things. God has broken me and taught me how to have self-control and patience. I still have to keep my temper under subjection at times, but it is one area in my life that I do not struggle as much with. Christ did get angry, but it was a righteous anger. He was angry that people we soliciting in the house of God, and drew them out with a whip. The Word says be angry and sin not (Psalms 4:4). Being angry is not a bad thing if it is out of a place of love and not hatred. Father’s get mad at their children when they do something they aren’t supposed to do, and they correct them. God does the same with us; He corrects us when we do wrong. Since God corrects us out of a place of love that is the way we are supposed to do it with others.  The two greatest commandments that we have are, “37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-39)” I guess what I am getting at is to be a Christian is to walk in love daily. I refuse to allow people to say their Christian one moment, and the next moment they are cussing up a storm.  The reason people have such a hatred towards Christianity is, because of the people that represent it falsely.

                If we are going to proclaim that we are Christians then we need to act accordingly. I do not even really use the term Christian when describing myself, but choose to use the phrase a follower of Christ. I do this because saying that I am Christian no longer holds any weight do to how horrible people have represented us. To live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). We are not even truly living unless we are living as Christ. Let us become so entranced by the beauty of God that we begin to become like Him. Let us get so lost in who He is that we being to live as He lives. Let us perform miracles, signs, and wonders as He did so that others can see how powerful our God truly is. We are to live as Christ to bring glory to Him, and for no other reason.

                People are always going to be watching how we live our lives, so let us live according to the Word. If you proclaim yourself to be a Christian then act like Christ did. You have no idea whose lives are affected by your walk of faith. If you happen to screw up along the way pick yourself up, and keep heading towards the path of righteousness. He shows so much mercy and grace towards us it is almost incomprehensible. I urge each and every one of you to show others who Christ really is, and not who others say He is. Use the personal relationship and understanding that you have of Christ as a guideline to lead your life. Blessings always follow obedience, and to be obedient is to be like Christ. Be a shining light as Christ was, so that others can see who God is that in doing so they will fall to their knees and proclaim Him as their God.  Remember we have nothing to earn salvation it was simply given to us. We are all capable of being like Christ, because that is what we created to be.